On Wednesday, the U.S. moved to halt all Afghan immigration processing after a 29-year-old Afghan national targeted two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C.
The attack immediately set off a nationwide backlash and triggered emergency actions from federal agencies.
The shooting left 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe in critical condition. Both were rushed into surgery after being shot in the head with a powerful handgun.
Late Wednesday night, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it had frozen all Afghan visas indefinitely.
The agency confirmed that thousands of Afghan nationals were in the pipeline attempting to enter the U.S. on claims that they assisted coalition forces or feared retaliation from the Taliban.
The FBI is now investigating the attack as an act of terror. Federal officials have not ruled out political or ideological motivations behind the shooting.
President Donald Trump ordered a sweeping review of every Afghan national who entered the country after the disastrous 2021 withdrawal under the Biden administration, per Trending Politics.
Federal sources confirmed that the attacker, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, came into the U.S. through Biden’s Operation Allies Welcome program, which has long been criticized for its lack of proper vetting.
Critics have repeatedly pointed out that Afghan records were incomplete, inaccurate, or destroyed during the collapse of the Afghan government. Despite this, Biden officials allowed tens of thousands of people to enter the country with limited background information.
Shawn VanDiver, president of AfghanEvac, told Newsmax that about 200,000 Afghans have arrived in the U.S. since 2021 through refugee and special visa programs. The group maintains that applicants were vetted, though critics argue that meaningful verification was impossible.
Lakanwal has been identified as the alleged attacker. Authorities say he lived in the U.S. on a temporary visa granted during the 2021 evacuation.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed Thursday morning that Lakanwal previously worked with multiple U.S. government entities, including the CIA, during his time with Afghan security forces in Kandahar. Ratcliffe said his association with U.S. agencies ended shortly after the withdrawal.
Ratcliffe told Fox News that the Biden administration brought the Afghan national into the U.S. because of that prior work. He said the individual should never have been admitted and warned that Americans continue to suffer the consequences of Biden’s failed policies.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro identified Beckstrom and Wolfe during a Thursday news conference. Wolfe remains in critical condition, while Beckstrom succumbed to her injuries on Thursday.
Pirro revealed that the soldiers had been sworn in only hours before the attack. She added that they volunteered to work over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Trump addressed the nation on Wednesday night and condemned the attack as a crime against humanity. He said the hearts of all Americans are with the two National Guard members and their families.
Trump said the nation is filled with grief, anger, and determination as officials work to uncover the full motive behind the shooting.
